‘Fight Club’ hits the streets again, 10 years after the first punch

Sept. 12, 2009 | 3:12 p.m.

Liesl Bradner checks in with a report about the guerrilla ad campaign for the “Fight Club” anniversary edition.

One of the many memorable lines in David Fincher’s startling and controversial “Fight Club,” which celebrates its 10th anniversary this fall: “You are not special. You are not a beautiful or unique snowflake. You’re the same decaying organic matter as everything else.”

The film had a strong underlying theme of disgust for corporate hypocrisy, which can be viewed as a problem or as challenge when it comes to marketing; Hollywood loves glossy and polished promotions for anniversary editions of home video releases, but that would be a sucker punch to fans of the movie who don’t respond well to shiny, happy gimmicks.

That’s why Santa Monica-based Neuron Syndicate, which was selected by Fox Creative to design the Blu-ray box art, hit the streets and commissioned five local taggers to create 30 pieces of art that resonates with the ragged sensibilities of the Brad Pitt-Edward Norton film. The pieces incorporate East and West coast urban aesthetics as well as European street art influences

Neuron partners Ryan Cramer and Sean Alatorre drew from their past in the art of tagging, and Fincher was closely involved to keep the sidewalk campaign in line with the nature and tone of the film. The 10th anniversary edition of “Fight Club” arrives Nov. 17, and Neuron is hoping that its art will be compelling enough that fans of the movie will break the first and second rule of Fight Club.